Posts tagged billshock

A lost or stolen mobile is bad enough, but things can get considerably worse if whoever picks it up sticks you with a mammoth bill for good measure. Smartphone kill switches or a simple screen lock can save you from such injustice, but hindsight isn't much comfort when your phone's already MIA. Th...

T-Mobile hasn't quite been as UnCarrier as some would like. Despite the network's turn toward overage-free service, there's still occasional chances that you'll pay extra for heavy use -- especially if you're on a grandfathered plan. That won't be a problem for long, though, as the carrier will so...

Canadians frequently have to pay through the nose to use their phones in the US; at best, they'll get a paltry 50MB of data per day. They won't have that problem for long, though, since Wind Mobile is launching an unlimited US roaming plan on February 3rd. For $15 extra per month, subscribers will...

American carriers warn you when you're using a lot of data, but they don't always tell you how to avoid that usage in the first place. Thankfully, they're taking a more proactive stance with the launch of their Know My App site. The CTIA-run page shows the typical data consumption of popular mobil...

AT&T subscribers visiting their Canadian neighbors no longer have to worry about giving up 4G speeds when crossing the border. The carrier has just unveiled a roaming deal with Rogers that will provide quick LTE data anywhere the Canadian provider has compatible coverage, including major citie...

It's bad to rack up steep cellphone bills through your own actions, but it's even worse if a thief does that on your behalf. Thankfully, the UK government has struck a deal with EE, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone to cap bills on any cellphone reported lost or stolen after this spring. Brits on t...

It's no secret that European Commission regulators dislike roaming charges. However, The Guardian now hears from sources that the Commission may propose legislation next week that eliminates those charges altogether. Carriers would reportedly have to charge the same service rates in every Europea...

Europe may be enjoying deeper and deeper integration, but that doesn't extend to mobile connectivity; citizens are still whacked with hefty roaming rates. European digital commissioner Neelie Kroes hopes to change this, telling business leaders that she's planning to push through a single mobile t...

If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, alongside smartphone leaks, admissions of data throttling and a power play at the NFC Forum, we're introducing a new, hand-picked selection of must-read mobile s...

GSMA, also known as the entity that produces Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo each year, seems to be onto something. And by "something," we mean "getting 24 carriers around the globe to agree on a single point." That's no easy feat, mind you, and the latest release from Shanghai asserts ...

Three UK is doing its best to stop you getting bill shock on your holidays by introducing a flat rate for European data roaming. The Euro Internet Pass will allow users to consume unlimited information in any "supported country" on the continent for £5 ($8) per day. Users can start using the...

Could it be? Is AT&T addressing bill shock by simply trying to make international data roaming costs reasonable? From the looks of its new Data Global Add-On deals, that might be the case. The baseline price is up from last year at $30 per month, but you'll get 120MB of data for your trouble -...

If you've ever mistaken your wireless bill for your phone number, only to discover a dollar sign in front of all those digits, you're far from alone. The CTIA estimates that one in six mobile subscribers have experienced bill shock, but thanks to the efforts of the nation's wireless carriers -- al...

Bill shock? It's "a real consumer problem that needs to be fixed," according to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski. The department teamed up with the CTIA and the Consumers Union today to address the problem of unexpected mobile bill charges. The solution? Alerts about overages and international roa...

Politicians do love themselves a sharp and emotive turn of phrase, of which few are as good as "bill shock." That's the term the FCC has used to sum up all those instances when you've had unexpected surcharges on your monthly wireless bill, caused by unknowingly going outside the bounds of your geo...

Call us crazy, but it seems as if the FCC has been earning its keep of late, and the toiling continues today with an effort meant to address "bill shock." For those unaware, bill shock is a phenomena on par with bitter beer face in terms of significance, and it typically occurs when you accidentall...